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WHO NEEDS TO BE CERTIFIED?
Anyone buying or using a restricted-use pesticide must be
certified and licensed by the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA),
unless they work under the direct supervision of a licensed applicator.
Those hired to apply to lands of another must be certified (or work under
supervision) whether they apply restricted-use or general-use pesticides. Application of liquid soil termiticides must be conducted with a commercial applicator (7b) at the site of application.
HOW DO I GET CERTIFIED?
Private Applicator: Pass core exam.
Commercial applicator: Pass core exam and category exam(s).
Exams are given four times each year. Call 1-800-282-8685 to make a reservation, get directions to the exam site or to ask what category you need.
PRIVATE APPLICATORS
COMMERCIAL APPLICATORS Private Applicators are the producers of agricultural commodities and apply restricted-use pesticides to land that is owned or rented by them or their employer.
All other restricted-use pesticide applicators are commercial applicators.
WHAT DO I STUDY FOR THE EXAM?
The core manual & workbook and your category manual(s). Send an order blank for manuals to the University of Delaware. You can get order blanks at county Extension offices, DDA, or the Entomology Department at UD (831-2526). Save postage - pick up your manuals at the Entomology Department or your county Extension office. Study your manuals and practice the calibration problems. All Delaware exams are closed book. You may use a calculator at the exam.
WHERE CAN I GET TRAINING? The Quarterly Training Review, sponsored by Cooperative Extension and DDA, is held before each exam. It runs 1 and 1/2 days starting at 8:15 each day. Be sure to study ahead of time -- this is only a review.
HOW DO I GET CERTIFIED? Private Applicator: Pass core exam.
Commercial applicator: Pass core exam and category exam(s).
Exams are given four times each year. Call 1-800-282-8685 to make a reservation, get directions to the exam site or to ask what category you need.
HOW DO I GET RECERTIFIED?
Your certification is good for 3 years. Then you must demonstrate that you've kept up with changes. Either retake the exam or collect the required number of recertification hours. Recertification courses must be approved by DDA.
HOW MANY HOURS DO I NEED? Private applicators need 3 recertification hours every 3 years. Fifty minutes of class room instruction equals one recertification hour. Commercial applicators need the following recertification hours every 3 years:
Agricultural Plant (1A) 8 Hr
Agricultural Animal (1B) 4 Hr
Fumigation of Soils/
Ag Commodities (1C) 4 Hr
Forest (02) 4 Hr
Ornamental & Turf (03) 8 Hr
Seed Treatment (04) 2 Hr
Aquatic (5A) 4 Hr
Antifouling Paint (5B) 2 Hr
Mosquito (5C) 4 Hr
Right-of-Way (06) 4 Hr
Industrial, Institutional,
Structural & Health Related (07)
General Pest Control (7A) 18 Hr
Wood Destroying Pest Cntrl (7B) 18 Hr
Fumigation (non-agricultural) (7C) 4 Hr
Wood Preservative (7D) 4 Hr
Institutional and Maintenance (7E) 18 Hr
Cooling Towers (7F) 4 Hr
Public Health (08) 4 Hr
Regulatory (09) 4 Hr
Demonstration & Research (10) 8 Hr
WHERE CAN I GET HOURS?
Attend the Delaware Pesticide Conference every January. All licensed applicators will be sent registration information.
Private applicators may attend any Quarterly Training Review for three recertification hours.
Commercial applicators may get hours at commodity meetings and professional seminars. The Delaware Pest Control Association sponsors an annual meeting for category 7 applicators in February. The Delaware Vegetable Growers meetings are held every winter. O&T applicators may attend the Delaware Trufgrass Conference or the Turf and Ornamental Conference.
Subscribe to your county Cooperative Extension newsletter and watch for announcements. Or call the DDA at 1-800-282-8685 for information.
I WENT TO A GOOD PESTICIDE PROGRAM LAST MONTH. CAN I GET CREDIT FOR IT?
Maybe. If you recently attended a pesticide program in Delaware or another state that was not pre-authorized for recertification hours, you may still be able to get credit. Send a copy of the program and proof of your attendance to Larry Towle, Delaware Department of Agriculture, 2320 S. Dupont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901. He will let you know if the program can be approved for recertification hours. Larry will award credit if the talks cover at least one of these issues: pesticide safety, pesticides and the environment, pest information, methods of control or pesticide information.
| DELAWARE CORE TEST BLUEPRINT |
JOB-RELATED
SKILLS |
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS
AT EACH LEARNING LEVEL |
TOTAL
QUESTIONS |
Factual Recall |
Understanding |
Application |
| 1. Laws/ liability |
6 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
| 2. Pest ID & Life Stages |
4 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
| 3. Pest Control/ IPM |
3 |
3 |
1 |
7 |
| 4. Label Comprehension |
4 |
6 |
10 |
20 |
| 5. Poisoning Symptoms |
5 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
| 6. Personal Safety |
4 |
3 |
5 |
12 |
7. Transportation/ storage
Disposal / spill cleanup |
3 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
| 8. Equipment/ formulation |
6 |
3 |
1 |
10 |
| 9. Calibration/ dilutions |
1 |
4 |
8 |
13 |
10. Environmental
Concerns |
4 |
6 |
1 |
11 |
# Questions |
40 |
30 |
30 |
100 |
LEARNING LEVELS:
Factual Recall: Tests the applicator's ability to remember significant facts
Understanding: Tests the applicator's ability to interpret critical information.
Application: Tests the applicator's ability to solve relevant problems.
91% OF APPLICATORS WHO ATTEND TRAINING PASS THE EXAM!!
Don't be left out. Attend the Delaware PAT review before you take the exam. Staff from UD Cooperative Extension and DDA will cover all topics and answer your questions. This exam blueprint will tell you what questions will be on the exam.
Applicators responding to a recent survey say that information learned during the PAT review is very useful to them in the work they do in their jobs. They adopted new safety practices that helped reduce pesticide exposure during the most hazardous pesticide handling activity in their work.
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